WILL BRUCE

Having worked professionally as a choral conductor and freelance music director in the UK’s two largest cities, William has been fortunate enough to perform on stage, screen, radio and in educational settings, alongside musicians with diverse skill sets and experience.

It was during his undergraduate music degree at King’s College London that he began to view the art of conducting both through a practical and academic lens. Learning from some of the world’s leading conductors, including Colin Metters and Odaline de la Martinez, William was appointed as Director of Music for both the GKT Music Society and Guy’s Chapel, King’s College London, in June 2019. Graduating with a First Class Honours degree, William was fortunate enough to be one of four applicants offered a place on Simon Halsey CBE’s industry-leading Choral Conducting MA at the University of Birmingham in 2020.

Throughout his time in the Midlands, William had the privilege of participating in masterclasses with many internationally acclaimed conductors – including Simon Carrington, studying Elgar and Britten’s part-songs, and Amanda Quist, who focused on authentic leadership – in addition to his one-to-one tuition from its course director. He enjoyed shadowing Halsey with the CBSO Chorus, having formerly been a member of their Children’s and Boy’s Choruses, singing for notable previous CBSO Musical Directors, Andris Nelsons and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

Whether he is preparing soloists or choruses for secular or sacred performances, William always finds himself captivated by the complexity and diversity of the human voice. This fixation has turned into his vocation, enabled through his current employment as Artistic Director of Choral Partnerships at St Paul's Cathedral. Engaging diverse new audiences with the Cathedral's world-renowned music foundation, William develops and delivers a Choral Curriculum which reaches thousands of children yearly across the capital in areas of social marginalisation and economic deprivation through meaningful and sustainable Choral Partnerships. Other national arts organisations look to this acclaimed programme for inspiration, and his work was featured in the most recent edition of Cathedral Music magazine.

 

William provides assistance to the Director of Music, Andrew Carwood MBE, in the preparation and delivery of Cathedral services and events, with a particular specialism in the recruitment and training of the Cathedral’s probationary choristers. He is responsible for conducting an annual series of large diocesan services; recent events include the Order of the British Empire Ceremonial Service, the London Diocesan Board for Schools’ Service, the Mothers’ Union London Diocesan Festival Eucharist, and the international ALMA Celebration Service, with special services attracting international congregations numbering around 2,000 people.

 

Formerly a Choral Director at Leeds Cathedral, William has held the role of Musical Director for a number of choral societies across Yorkshire, including the Leeds Methodist Choir and Knaresborough Choral Society, and has been invited back to the North to guest conduct performances, including Handel’s Messiah in Nidderdale to name but one recent example, featuring singers from Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and Wetherby Choral Societies.

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As a sought-after freelance chorus master and workshop leader, William has delivered masterclasses for the Florence International Singing Programme on their flagship Florence and London courses and for the Bradford Festival Choral Society – having led two learn-to-sing courses that were part of the society's nomination for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

 

In everything he does, William seeks to cultivate musical environments that nourish talent by widening access and celebrating the joy of choral music.